JRS Australia releases ‘Strangers No More’ federal election policy statement; calls for next Australian government to adopt policies supporting welcome and protection.

As we step into the final week of the Federal Election 2019 campaign, JRS Australia is pleased to release its election policy statement, Strangers No More: How Australia’s leaders can welcome, promote, protect and integrate forced migrants.

Strangers No More tells Mohammed, Rosie, Deepa, and Sajjad’s stories of impact by Australian refugee and asylum policy in different ways.

The statement alsofocuses on 6 priorities for policy reform and provides 17 policy recommendations to achieve these reforms.

The priorities listed are:

An adequate safety net for all people seeking asylum

A fair hearing, due process, certainty, and the right to family reunion for all people seeking asylum and refugees

Greater support for women seeking asylum who are at risk of or survivors of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV)

Alternatives to immigration detention

Protecting forced migrants in the Asia-Pacific region

Adopting and implementing the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR)

Strangers No More follows the spirit of Pope Francis’ and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s (ACBC) call for Catholics to recognise ‘our fear of the Other’ and boldly seek a culture of encounter with those we do not know.

JRS Australia Director Carolina Gottardo says, “this election we have a choice. We can vote for leaders who stand for inclusive and humane policies that respect the dignity of all women, men, and children who come to Australia seeking safety and opportunity.”

“We are a large, prosperous and generous country. Let us reflect that reality in the way we vote and the way we hold our leaders to account after the election.”

We encourage you to read the statement, share it widely, vote for policies and leaders who stand for welcoming others, and use it to meet with your local MPs after the election.